Product Description

Nicky Allt was a skint teenager from the tough Kirkby district of Liverpool who wanted something more when no-one would `gizza job'. And in the late Seventies that meant clothes, music - and Liverpool FC. He joined a young scallywag crew who dressed different, spoke different and met at the Anfield Road End. Their travels would become legend as the Reds conquered Europe.

The Road Enders were a motley assortment of jibbers, blaggers and fighters to whom every No Entry sign was a challenge and every price tag a joke. They criss-crossed the Continent with Adidas bags and a few quid between them, fighting, joking, thieving and `bunking in' to every match - and had the times of their lives.

`It's all about wanting to see a bit of life and being held down or held back by your own social background, being absolutely determined to not let a lack of cash tie you down to the Job Centre. IT'S REBELLION, simple as that.'

The Boys From the Mersey is the authentic voice of the sharpest, roughest and funniest bunch of football lads around and of how they changed the face of terrace culture.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #32719 in Books
• Published on: 2005-10-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Customer Reviews

Spot on.
When I started to read Nicky's book I was not gripped by the 1st couple of chapters. Instead I was reading in dribs and drabs....this was probably my own fault, rather than that of the author, because as soon as I found the time I was gripped and finished it in 2 sittings.

Im not sure if people from outside the walls of the City of Liverpool will quite appreciate this book for the quality it possess. The use of language is unique in a book that has been nationally sold and acclaimed. Its local dialect and phrases are brilliant, and the humour, sarcasm, and story telling is 1st class.

It doesnt harp on too much about "we chased them" "they fronted us"...its just how it was. Scousers out for a laugh, and to do anything imagineable to watch their heroes.

Hats off to yer Nicky. A top read fella.

...A Scouse Clockwork Orange
Those seeking out another Brimsonesque hooligan diary-by-numbers ...go back to google and (re)search again, for this is no ordinary tale of chases and knuckle - Nicky Allts prose is as stylish as the clobber he and his chums were wearing at the dawn of football 'casual' culture (as those outside Liverpool like to call it)....with raucous reminiscences and streams of scouse consciousness putting this reader in mind of a scallywag Kerouac he tells it the way it was for countless young fans of LFC - crystallising the cynical, sussed, elitist, piss taking, rougueish, surreal sense of humour and sharp as darts state of mind that existed on the terraces during the (then) all conquering LFC's finest hour.
An excellent read, and one that will resonate with all football fans of a similar ilk and age...even beauts and divvys..

Enjoyable book despite certain claims
Unlike other books of this genre, there was no silly macho "we ran them" quotes which made it an enjoyable and funny read. I can realte to the author's recollections as I was a Canny Farm housing estate scal in the late 60s early 70s and followed Liverpool FC everywhere. In fact we were the ones who invented the ticket scam as written in the book. I thought it was well sussed by the time the author came on the scene.